ADLINK STC2-AL/KL Industrial Control Tablet BIOS and Drivers

2.2.4 System Management and SEMA Functions

The STC2 series has built-in SEMA (System Event Monitoring Architecture) firmware, which can read real-time parameters such as CPU temperature, motherboard temperature, fan speed, input current/power, voltage rail, etc. In Advanced>System Management>SEMA Features, you can view a list of supported features such as watchdog, power on times, restart event logs, etc. Operations personnel can use this data to predict the health status of hardware.

2.2.5 Watchdog Timer - The Most Important

Watchdogs are the last line of defense against industrial equipment crashes. The STC2 series offers two types of watchdog:

Power Up Watchdog: The system starts timing after power on. If no feeding signal is received within the specified time (can be set to 18-65535 minutes, default 0xFF is infinite), it will automatically reset. Attention: Pressing F12 during startup can temporarily disable this feature for debugging purposes.

RunTime Watchdog: Continuously monitors during system operation, and triggers a reset when timeout occurs.

Setting steps: Set "Power Up Watchdog" to Enabled, and then set the "Timeout" value (hexadecimal, for example, 0x0018 represents 24 minutes). It is recommended to write a dog feeding service in the operating system, regularly writing specific I/O or calling SEMA interfaces to the device to ensure that the system can recover itself in case of abnormal situations.

2.2.6 Super I/O Configuration - Serial Protocol Switching

This is the most commonly operated area by on-site engineers. COM1 and COM2 both support RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 modes, which need to be matched according to the interface type of external devices such as PLC, smart meters, and frequency converters.

Enter 'Serial Port 1 Configuration' and set 'Serial Port' to 'Enabled'.

In the 'Change Settings', the IO address and interrupt number can be adjusted (usually just keep Auto).

Key: Select RS232, RS422 or RS485 through "COM1 Control". In RS-485 half duplex mode, attention should be paid to the terminal resistance and bias settings (hardware level), and the BIOS only switches the working mode of the level conversion chip.

Configure COM2 using the same method.

If using RS-485 multi machine communication, relevant options such as "Flow Control" need to be enabled in the BIOS, but it is more recommended to handle data direction control in the application layer software.

2.2.7 Serial Console redirection

For scenarios without a monitor or remote debugging, BIOS output and operating system startup information can be redirected through the serial port (COM0 or COM1). The baud rate (default 115200), data bits, stop bits, parity check, etc. need to be set and kept consistent with the terminal software (such as PuTTY). After activation, even if the local screen fails, the startup process and BIOS entry can be observed through the serial port.

2.2.8 USB Configuration

Adjustable XHCI Hand off (used for the operating system to take over the USB controller) and USB transfer timeout value. If encountering USB device recognition abnormalities, try turning off XHCI Hand off or adjusting the 'Device power up delay'.

2.3 Chipset Menu

North Bridge (AL) or System Agent (KL): configurable integrated graphics card memory (DVMT pre allocated size), GTT size, Aperture Size, etc. For HMI applications with high-resolution displays or complex graphical interfaces, it is recommended to set DVMT Pre Located to 256MB or higher to avoid screen lag caused by insufficient video memory.

South Cluster (AL) or PCH-IO (KL): manages SATA controllers (ports can be enabled or disabled), HD Audio, PCI Express root ports, etc. If using mSATA or SSD, ensure that the corresponding SATA port is enabled. The hot plug function can be turned on as needed.

2.4 Security Menu

Supports setting administrator and user passwords, and can configure TPM (1.2 or 2.0) to enhance system security. For non critical applications, they can remain disabled.

2.5 Boot Menu

Adjustable startup sequence, enable/disable Quiet Boot and Fast Boot. Fast Boot may skip some hardware initialization and speed up boot time, but it may affect the recognition of certain peripherals. It is recommended to turn it off during the first debugging.

2.6 Save&Exit

After the modification is completed, select "Save Changes and Exit" or "Save Changes and Reset" to make the new configuration effective. If the modification causes it to fail to start, it can be restored to default by clearing the CMOS (motherboard jumper).

Driver installation sequence and practical points

After completing the BIOS configuration, it is necessary to install the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise operating system (supported by default), and then install the drivers in a specific order to avoid functional conflicts.

3.1 Official recommended sequence for driver installation

Chipset driver - First, install it so that the operating system can correctly recognize PCIe, SATA, USB, and other bus controllers.

Graphics driver - Ensure proper display output, especially with the built-in LVDS/eDP panel.